Railway-switch.



.No. 863,416. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.- B. J. MORGAN.

RAILWAY" SWITCH. APPLICATION PILEDMAY 9, 1906.

. 7/57 ll/Ill? BENJAMIN .T. MORGAN, OF BEVIER, MISSOURI.

V RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 13, 1907.

Application filed May 9, 1906. Serial No. 315,911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN J. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bevier, in the county of Macon and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway switches of the type embodying a pair of relatively movable switch points adapted to be brought alternately into play, and has for its objects to provide a simple, inexpensive device of this character wherein the points will be readily and positively moved to active position, and one wherein either of the points will move automatically to inactive position simultaneously with the movement of the other point to active position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a top plan view of a portion of a railway track equipped with a switch mechanism embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of the same on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a detail, perspective view of .the switch operating shaft. Fig. l is a perspective view of one of the switch members. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the rails and a portion of the base plate. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a portion of the switch mechanism showing the pivoted switch members in the opposite position from that shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the rails of the main line and 2 the side rails which together with the rails l are sustained by cross ties 3, there being arranged at the point of intersection of the inner rails 1 and 2 a bed plate 4 supported on the ties 3 and equipped with a frog 5 adapted to lead onto either of the rails l 01' 2, as usual.

Pivoted at one end, as at 6, to one of the ties 3 and extending beneath the plate 4 is a pair of relatively movably switch members 7. Each member has a tread portion 8 adapted to extend upward through one of a pair of openings 9 in the plate 4 and to aline with one or the other of the rails 1 and 2, and the ends of the tread portions are oppositely beveled to engage the opposite sides of the point of the frog. As shown in Fig. 4, one of the members 7 has its free end extended so as to increase the length and give the member a larger bearing in the opening 9 of the plate 4 in which it moves, so that lateralstrains on the member can be better withstood. Extending transversely across the main track and under the rails thereof is a switch operating shaft 10 journaled for rotation in suitable bearings 11 and provided adjacent its inner end with a pair of perpendicularly disposed cam portions or heads 12 which bear respectively beneath and for actuating the members 7, as more fully hereinafter explained.

Pivoted to one of the ties 3 at a point suitably remote from the switch is a switch throwing lever 13 provided at its outer end with a weight 14 and having its inner end connected by a rod 15 with a bell crank lever 16 pvioted at the other side of the track to one of the ties, the lever 16 being in turn connected by a rod 17 with a crank arm 18 fixed 011 the outer end of lever 10.

In practice, the parts stand normally in position illustrated in Fig. 1, with the appropriate switch 7 in active position for maintaining the main line open, the switch being held in such position by the appropriate cam portion 12 bearing beneath as in Fig. 2. Under these conditions when desired to close the main line and open the siding the lever 13 is swung inward on its pivot, thus swinging the lever 16 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 and serving through the medium of rod 17 and crank arm 18 to rotate the shaft 10, whereby the switch for the siding is moved upward by the appropriate head 12 and the other head turned to horizontal position for allowing the main line switch to drop by gravity to inactive position, it being particularly noted that the disposition of the heads 12 on the shaft is such that when one of the heads stands verticall y for holding its switch to action the other will lie in horizontal position for allowing the other switch to fall automatically by gravity to inactive position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a device of the class described, a pair of intersecting rails, a bed plate arranged beneath the rails at the point of intersection and having openings, switch members pivoted beneath the bed plate and having upwardly projecting portions designed to extend upward through said openings and in line with the respective rails, a rotary operating shaft sustained beneath and having a pair of projecting cam heads arranged at right angles to each other and adapted to bear respectively beneath the switch members, and means for rotating the shaft to move the switch members alternately to active position, said members being automatically movable by gravity to inactive position.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BEN. J. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

WArKiN JoNns, \VILLIAM ANDREWS. 

